Our Team

Kathy Robb

Chief Executive
Officer

Kathy Robb is the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Access. Prior to joining, she was a nationally-recognized environmental attorney in private practice, focusing on water law and policy, through litigation at all levels of federal courts and by advising clients on water-related investing risks. She has worked on water-related issues across the United States, including Kalamazoo, Colorado, Klamath, and Guadalupe Rivers; the ACT-ACF river systems; the San Gabriel Valley; and numerous lakes, streams, and aquifers.

Kathy has also taught courses on international environmental law and human rights at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, and writes and speaks frequently on water quality and quantity issues. She has co-founded three environmental-related non-profit organizations, and serves on several environmental organization boards. Her work has garnered her many professional acknowledgements and awards.

Kathy is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of Texas at Austin Plan II interdisciplinary honors program. She spends most of her recreational time looking at, being in and on, and reading about, water.

Bonnie Birmingham

Vice
President

Bonnie manages operations, special projects, research, and events at Blue Access. Previously, she worked at Action Against Hunger managing projects and events tied to fundraising and communications. Bonnie has also worked as a communications consultant for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, a creative producer at Convicts NYC, and a production associate at The Documentary Group. Prior to moving to the U.S., Bonnie was a junior associate at a law firm in Sydney, Australia. She has a Juris Doctor and a BA in Journalism, both from The University of Technology, Sydney. Bonnie’s personal pleasures include cooking, exercise and being near the ocean whenever possible. She moved from Sydney to New York in 2013, and currently calls Brooklyn home.

Alice Smith

Vice President & Human Resources

Alice is responsible for the day-to-day fiscal, administrative, and human resource operations at Blue Access. She works closely with the company’s management team during the budgeting and forecasting processes and issues timely internal financial statements. In her human resources capacity, Alice manages onboarding team members, employee benefits, and payroll. Alice brings to Blue Access her solid portfolio management experience as Director of Finance at an early stage venture capital firm. Alice previously worked at HBO (Global Administration) and Elsevier (Senior Financial Analyst) and has earned a BA, Cum Laude, from the City University of New York; an MBA, Finance, from Fordham University; and holds a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Alice lives on the Connecticut shoreline where she enjoys immersing herself in local environmental issues and loves to ride her bike along the ocean during the summer.

Mary Ann Grena Manley

Communications Consultant

Mary Ann is a policy analyst and communications expert in the environmental and sustainability arena. She leads strategic communications for Blue Access as an independent consultant. Prior to consulting, Mary Ann managed Bloomberg Industry Group (formerly Bloomberg BNA and BNA Inc.) coverage and analysis of global Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability issues for more than 20 years, with experiences cutting across law, journalism, policy, and marketing. She received her BA in political science from American University and her JD from Widener University School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. Mary Ann’s personal interests include photography, hiking, and D.C.-area sports. Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, she is a long-time resident of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Bryan David

Associate

Bryan recently completed a dual-Master’s degree program at University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. There, he focused on how financial tools and investing strategies can be applied to create sustainable outcomes in the water sector. Previously, he worked for WestWater Research LLC, analyzing investment opportunities in U.S. water markets, and was the Advocacy & Outreach Manager for the Land Trust Alliance. He holds a BA in Environmental Studies and History from Brown University. He enjoys fly-fishing, cooking and exploring new places.

Amy Uyen Truong

Associate

Amy is responsible for conducting research and analysis on water-related topics. She is a water resource management expert and has managed a research network, worked with rural communities on watershed protection, and researched outdoor water conservation for urban municipalities. She focuses on multi-scalar water management, water equity, and sustainable finance. She has a BA in Environmental Studies from Trinity University and a MS in Water Management and Hydrological Sciences from Texas A&M University. Amy is a Texas native and requests that you do not hold that against her.

Clare Loughlin

Analyst

Clare brings to Blue Access experience in public speaking, community outreach, and technical research on water-related issues. In 2019, Clare completed a Fulbright grant in Pahang, Malaysia where she worked at a secondary school in a palm oil community. Clare holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Connecticut College, where she was a student scholar in the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment and co-founded a fossil fuel divestment campaign. Clare is passionate about environmental justice and environmental health. In her free time, Clare enjoys hiking, making music, and leading virtual meditations.

Akylah Cox

Intern

Akylah will obtain her BSE in Civil Engineering from Duke University in the Spring of 2021. In the field, she has worked on international water research projects in Shanghai and rural Kenya, and was selected as a Grand Challenge Scholar (National Academy of Engineers) to write a senior thesis on groundwater hydrology. After graduation, she looks forward to doing a master’s or doctoral program focusing on water resource engineering. At home in Orlando, FL, she enjoys dancing and sporadic trips to Disney World.

Ozgur Erkarslan

Intern

Ozgur is a Master’s student at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, and a Fulbright Scholar. He is interested in impact investing, social policy, welfare provisions and community development. Before joining Blue Access, he worked at the international relations division of Izmir Chamber of Commerce as a researcher providing consulting services to clients. He wants to pursue a PhD in Social Policy, and perceives water accessibility as a critical pillar of socio-economic equality.